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Smart TVs sending sensitive user data to Netflix and Facebook

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Re: Smart TVs sending sensitive user data to Netflix and Facebook

#301

Post by dvdbloc »

markovbot wrote: post #133
dvdbloc wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pro tip for other people with 2019 and 2018 Samsung Smart TVs, if you back out of the network config and never set it up during the initial config or after a factory reset the TV will never show any ads and will never have the annoying icons for its own apps in the menus. If you attempt to use these features the TV will kindly remind you that you are not connected to the internet/have no accepted the user agreement.…

Alternatively, don't buy samsung TVs on principal.

Normally I’d agree with you, however when laying out things like picture quality between brand and cost, many times Samsung comes out on top and that’s why I end up going with them.

Re: Smart TVs sending sensitive user data to Netflix and Facebook

#302

Post by PeterStuer »

cameronbrown wrote: post #60
lrem wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An acquaintance attempted that with Kindle, by keeping it in flight mode. After some days it popped up a message kindly asking to give it some network access. After a few more days it simply ignored the flight mode and connected to get fresh ads. Edit: I've checked with my wife who has an ad supported Kindle for over a year and keeps it in flight mode for months at a time. It never did that to her. So either Amazon c…

> After a few more days it simply ignored the flight mode and connected to get fresh ads. Worrying. "Flight" mode exists for a reason and should not be overridden.

The reasons being (1) you are moving faster than the network hand over protocol is designed for and (2) even if it worked you could be impinging on the juicy margings of in-flight service offers.

If airplanes could be brought down by turning on a cellphone you would never have been allowed to travel with one in the first place.

Re: Smart TVs sending sensitive user data to Netflix and Facebook

#303

Post by xxs »

the_svd_doctor wrote: post #33

I tried to never connect my Smart TV to anything, but I realized one day (when someone's stuff was playing on it without me accepting any request...) it connected an open network in my residence. The only trick that worked to prevent it from connecting was putting the wrong password, and let it loop forever, trying to connect. Ugly.

you can block any device by their mac on your router

Re: Smart TVs sending sensitive user data to Netflix and Facebook

#304

Post by seppin »

harry8 wrote: post #203
kminehart wrote: post #3

When can I buy a TV without smart features? I don't doubt that my smart TV is reporting some data about my usage, but I barely have a choice in the matter.

Buy a dell monitor [1] or similar. Please link any similar products from competitors here, this company is just the one I know of that comes to mind. [1] eg https://www.dell.com/en-au/work/shop/accessories/apd/210-aqx...

> Online Price $2,209.00

Not everyone here is a pre-IPO employee. I'd say 90% maybe, not everyone.

Re: Smart TVs sending sensitive user data to Netflix and Facebook

#306

Post by xxs »

jamesponddotco wrote: post #45
amdelamar wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you disable WiFi in the menu, or physically remove the WiFi card/chip?

Physically removed the Wi-Fi module.

this works of course, but blocking in on the router by mac address is way easier.

Re: Smart TVs sending sensitive user data to Netflix and Facebook

#307

Post by switch007 »

Spy TVs are nothing compared to Spy energy meters.

They will bring in a new era of surge-based pricing, which will eliminate all tariff comparisons as it will be impossible to compare.

Higher pricing is already starting with non-spy tariffs being more expensive than spy tariffs.

If you happen to buy a home with one, and want the spy meter removed, you are at the mercy of the supplier and they will embark on a campaign against you to keep it. The lies will soon start saying they have no analogue meters in stock etc.

Re: Smart TVs sending sensitive user data to Netflix and Facebook

#308

Post by nabla9 »

dandare wrote: post #299

I still don't understand this whole "business model". Could someone ELI5 these three questions? 1) How exactly is this targeting information useful to advertisers? Do they pay for targeting in order to pay for fewer ads? 2) Where is the market for "user data"? How do you sell your blog visitor's data? 3) How much is the data worth? Some equivalent to CPM? Could you monetize your blog not by showing ads but by selling…

>Do they pay for targeting in order to pay for fewer ads?

Yes. There can be more and smaller advertisers when you can tailor ads to the market. Nontargeted advertising is economic only for biggest brands.

Data that is collected sparsely can help to identify interests and match ads to users. Geographic location helps to match adds from your local market to the blog the user is currently reading, for example.

Continuously collected information can be used to direct and predict behavior. The user matches profile of stressed person. People under stress have low impulse control, show them ads for products that are typical impulse purchases. S

>Where is the market for "user data"? How do you sell your blog visitor's data?

You don't. You add common trackers to your site and receive income from ads trough them.

> Could you monetize your blog not by showing ads but by selling user information?

No. This does not work in small scale. Single blogger can't create much value by selling data directly. Google or Facebook do that.

Re: Smart TVs sending sensitive user data to Netflix and Facebook

#310

Post by onion2k »

dreamcompiler wrote: post #280
pacala wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Five years from now, 5G will be widely deployed, with a connection density of 1M/sqkm, 1000 times larger than 4G. The TV will connect directly to the 5G network without asking for permission. For your convenience [TM].

At which point I hope there will be websites describing how to take the TV apart and disable the 5G modem. Or somebody will invent a small short-range backhaul-less 5G spoof microcell you can put next to the TV that will confuse the TV's modem into connecting to nothing. Or just wrap the TV in a Faraday cage. But keeping the screen visible might make that tricky.

At which point I hope there will be websites describing how to take the TV apart and disable the 5G modem.

There's always been rumours that some Intel vPro CPUs have modems (and entire secondary CPUs..) built in to the chip itself.

Atom x3/x5/x7 processors have a modem in the CPU package.

I imagine disabling the modem without breaking the TV would be impossible.

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